Hungarian government on the brink of political confrontation: will the European Parliament lift immunity from a defending deputy?
Amid escalating political tensions surrounding free speech and judicial independence in Hungary, a new conflict emerges with potential to shift the power balance within the European Parliament.
Italy’s Member of the European Parliament, Ilaria Salis, who spent over a year detained in Budapest before taking her seat in the EU legislative body, now faces the possibility of her parliamentary immunity being revoked.
The Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) of the European Parliament is set to decide whether to lift her immunity, a move that could lead to renewed criminal proceedings against her in Hungary.
Many observers see this situation as part of a broader political fight by Viktor Orbán’s government against opposition voices, especially critics of the regime’s erosion of democracy and rule of law.
Salis considers her case a symbol of political repression and an attempt to intimidate opponents in the lead-up to the 2026 Hungarian elections.
Her lawyers emphasize that the core issue is the independence of the European Union from political manipulation.
The vote on granting her immunity is scheduled for June 24 but has been postponed due to procedural delays, increasing tensions among advocates for free speech and democratic principles.
Furthermore, this case could result in her arrest and extradition to Hungary if the government issues an European arrest warrant.
Her defenders argue that she is fighting for justice and European values, which must remain inviolable despite political pressures and misuses of legal mechanisms.